The Letter
by rhead-a-holyc
Summary: Merlin received his letter with little ceremony.


The owl arrived early that morning, arousing little suspicion from the muggles around them and sat on the back of a chair quietly until his mother woke. It was difficult to have uncontrollable magic, especially when even his mother wasn't entirely sure where the mysterious power came from. She had nothing of the sort, perhaps his father had, but he had disappeared not to long after he was born. He barely remembered the man, and his mother rarely spoke of him even when asked.

Despite the secrecy, Merlin knew he was different. He didn't know exactly what he was, but he wasn't like the other children. They could never make falling objects stop in mid-air, they couldn't make flowers bloom during winter. Or, at least, he had never seen or heard of them doing those kinds of things. He was sure they would be boasting about those kinds of things if they did. The other children boasted about everything, after all, even if it were something as small as finding the first flower of spring, and proceeding to _rip it out of the ground_.

Merlin entered the make-shift kitchen, to see his mother struggling to read the parchment. It was rare for his mother to try to read, having not been taught the letters, she usually left it to him. She had been trying more often recently, and making considerable progress, but, still, she struggled.

"Ma?"

She turned around, eyes still squinting slightly. "Merlin, dear. This letter was waiting for you with the owl. The owl flew over to me as soon as I entered the room. Here," she said, passing the letter over to Merlin as she smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid I don't understand too much of what's written there."

Merlin shook his head in amusement, eyes scanning over the foreign parchment himself. Parchment was a rarity, most notes were sent by mouth here. Parchment were used by the royalty, and the rest of the court, but all males had to learn the letters to understand the posters the court occasionally put up. It was taken for granted that they would inform everyone else of whatever was written on the poster.

"Some sort of school is offering me a place. A school of magic? Is what I can do, magic, Ma?" Merlin asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

Magic.

Magic was evil. That was what the court had told them, that was what Merlin had known his own life. But if this letter was true, would that mean that _he_ was evil? He wasn't, though, right? He had never harmed another person, not even hit back when he was hit by the children down the street. The only thing his magic did was heal himself afterwards.

Was making people better bad? Surely not?

Merlin glanced up only to notice the tears that had begun to fill his mother's eyes. "Ma? What's wrong?"

"You have to go, Merlin. Your father… your father had magic too. He had warned me before he left. I had hoped it wouldn't happen. I thought that if I didn't speak about it, it wouldn't happen," his mother moved towards him, laying her hand on his shoulder which wasn't too much below her own anymore. "Merlin, promise me that you will go? That you will train your gift, and do your best? You're special, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You never would have survived her with your gift if you weren't. Promise me, dear."

Merlin could see that this meant a lot to his mother, and he couldn't possibly refuse something that clearly meant more than anything else. So he nodded, the rest of the letter, and whatever it entailed, forgotten because everything else would come. Merlin could figure everything else out later. Their decision had already been made.

Although Merlin didn't have anything to reply with, he thought the owl understood, as it took off a moment later, disappearing into the distance with a surprising speed.

And for a while, Merlin simply stood there, holding on to his mother, knowing that they would be separated soon, and hating the fact, but he would make her proud at this strange school. He would make sure to leave a memory behind.

He hoped this fear they lived in would eventually fade.

 **Written for September Back to School Challenge: Receiving a Hogwarts Letter**

 **Written for Ultimate Chocolate Frog Card Trading and Duelling Club: Merlin (challenge)**


End file.
